The Return of the King

Mattel's Masters of the Universe (MotU), one of the company's most successful multimedia franchises, is to return in the Fall!

Behold King Grayskull, who will be a SDCC Exclusive! King Grayskull is the inaugural MotU figure to feature super articulation and classic detail sculpting by the Four Horsemen. Grayskull comes in a brand new package, featuring lights and sounds, which transforms into a mini Castle Grayskull playset.



Castle Grayskull was once home to King Grayskull, an ancestor of Prince Adam. He appears in the Episode, "The Power of Grayskull", waging battle and ultimately defeating the Snakemen led by King Hiss. King Grayskull's triumph was shortlived and he dies defending his kingdom from Hordak. During his lifetime, King Grayskull ruled with wisdom and compassion.

With the emphasis on the collectors market, and The Four Horsemen in the sculpting saddle, the revitalised MotU line is sure to raise the bar on what constitutes the very pinnacle in mass produced collectibles! Read my childhood Masters of the Universe recollection!

If anyone at Mattel is reading this, please contact me to discuss the possibility of running a 'give-away' competition during the holiday season! Thank you in advance.

Faking It!

My late Grandmother, Louise Farley née Curtis, was an immigrant from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. So, Happy Canada Day to all my readers.

Currently selling Masters of the Universe Faker ToyFare Exclusive on eBay. Happy bidding.

"He Slimed Me!"

I wouldn't profess to be an avid memorabilia collector, but I take pride in the pop culture ephemera amassed since childhood. Although Mattel's Masters of the Universe line is defunct there are bargains to be had for conservative collectors.

Spending $500 on a ToyFare exclusive is anathema to me, but mint sale swag like The Mutant Slime Pit™ is irresistible at $4.99 (available from Toys "R" Us) and includes Slime® compound and exclusive exploding Mutant Warrior™ figure. As I never owned Hordak’s Slime Pit or Fright Zone (spied on the shelves of Tesco's Lee Mill superstore in the '80s), there’s no danger of duplication and the Four Horsemen Studios' sculpts outclass any at McFarlane Toys.



Continuing with the Mattel collectible theme. The Hot Wheels 1989 Batmobile is a definitive die-cast model and surpasses those released by ERTL® or Toy Biz. The 1:18 object d’art is in short supply and an investment. Anton Furst would be proud.

By the Power of Podcasting!

I urge fellow Masters of the Universe fans to subscribe to the excellent Masters Cast. The following podcast description is taken from their site:

Masters Cast is the first He-Man and She-Ra podcast. This podcast is made available free for fans by fans. We cover all of the hot topics and news relating to He-Man and She-Ra. Plus, we have interviewed key players in Masters of the Universe such as Filmation co-founder Lou Scheimer, voice actress Erika Scheimer, and writer and She-Ra co-creator Larry DiTillio.

What are you waiting for? Subscribe (iTunes link).

DC's Dark Deeds

Following The Four Horsemen's feted sculpts for Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise. They turned their attention to DC Super Heroes (amongst others). These are amongst some of the coolest mass-produced articulated figures I've ever seen!

More then a match for Marvel Legends? I'll let you decide.



DC Super Heroes Series 5 from Mattel focuses heavily on the Superman mythos featuring Lex Luthor, Darkseid (see picture for illustrative purposes only), Brainiac and more from the boy scout's universe.

Merchandise Maniacs

So, avid reader what are you favorite franchises to collect? To start the ball rolling, I'll list (in no particular order) some stuff:

Star Wars Transformers
Why Hasbro didn't think of this sooner is a question for another day! Of course they didn't merge with Kenner until the early 90's. The initial releases were a bit hit and miss. Waves 2, 3 and 4 and there's no looking back, eh Annie?

Star Wars Die-Cast Titanium Series
Kenner's die-casts were collectible gold in the 70's and 80's. My parents bought me Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, X-Wing, Land Speeder, Imperial Cruiser (and Rebel Blockade Runner), Y-Wing, Snow Speeder, Slave I and Millennium Falcon. These are just too great for words and are ample compensation for never owning the elusive TIE Bomber!

Transformers Die-Cast Titanium Series
The G.I. Joe crossovers are an homage to the 80's Marvel comic. Can't wait to see Skywarp/Cobra Rattler jet.

DC Super Heroes
Mattel finally unleashes the Four Horsemen (MySpace friends) and demonstrate that they can go head-to-head with Marvel Legends. Marvel Legends are now licensed to Hasbro. The toy wars continue!

Doctor Who (both classic and 200x)
The Denys Fisher Mego range of 10" figures and accessories has a very special place in my childhood! Giant Robot, Doctor Who, Cyberman and Dalek were welcome company during an extended stay in hospital in 1977! Now Character Options' new merchandise has pride of place on my bookshelves.

Masters of the Universe (200x)
I'm still collecting 200x and NECA stactions (static action figures). Aren't you?

Drawing Red Shadows

As I was writing a bio for MySpace. I recalled the following anecdote, which is loosely relevant to the themes of this very blog!

When I wasn't playing with Star Wars, Transformers, Zoids, Masters of the Universe or G.I. Joe toys. I was sending unsolicited toy franchise submissions to Palitoy (the famous Coalville company which sub-licensed products from Hasbro and Kenner)! For example Baron Ironblood's, original UK name for Cobra Commander, Man o' War submersible. Whilst Palitoy invariably couldn't accept my ideas, their customer relations department graciously sent me posters and action figures along with dutifully returned artwork and a thank you note! Incidentally, Character Options is the modern equivalent of Palitoy and hopefully will not suffer its forebears fate.

In the UK weekly comic Battle Action Force, Baron Ironblood mercilessly allowed the destruction of the Red Shadows before emerging as Cobra Commander and the advent of the Marvel comic.

This brief quote from Marvel comics gives an insight into the motivation for the creation of Cobra Command:

"I'm not going to be ground under the wheels of big government!... I'm going to create an underground organization that will bypass government restrictions, and garner power through terrorism and extortion!... I won't stop until my organization coils around the whole world like a giant cobra!"-- Cobra Commander, circa. 1978

Unlike the animated series, Marvels G.I. Joe comic presented an insidious and palpable terrorist threat in the form of Cobra. From Crimson Guard to Zartan, the enemy was violent and relentless.

Video V.E.N.O.M.

The '80s was a golden era for animated brands from Masters of the Universe to The Transformers. M.A.S.K. (which is an acronym for the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) was no exception to this rule and had a memorable theme tune (sung by College and School students alike).



M.A.S.K. was Kenner's hybrid G.I. Joe and The Transformers toyline, which debuted in 1985. Although I predominently collected Star Wars and Transformers merchandise, Rhino and Jackhammer vehicles were worthy, if expensive, editions. The brand was retired in 1988, but remains a staple of Generation X. Hope you enjoy this slice of nostalgia and there'll be more to come.

The Powers of Grayskull: Part III

The evil cadre of Skeletor, Beast Man, Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops were hired to bolster Darth Vader's Bounty Hunters. Castle Grayskull served as Vader's weekend retreat so-to-speak and Snake Mountain became the adopted home of the Emperor and source of unimaginable Sith power.

During a family holiday to Innsbruck (1984), between organized coach trips we would walk around the shops. The Austrian toy and model stores overflowed with Masters of the Universe action figures and accessories (sold seperately) that were not available in the UK. One of the most coveted was Prince Adam and the fact that I wasn't allowed to buy him left me emotionally scared. I had to content myself with an Action Force Summer Special comic instead!

By 1987 I set aside 'childish' things and waited anxiously for the release of Michael Jackson's Bad album. However, that didn't preclude me from seeing the camp movie (starring a young Courteney Cox) and savoring Bill Conti's copy cat score (see John Williams).

Mattel's 2002 revival of the enduring billion dollar property has met with mixed success. Mattel flooded the market with worthless repaints. In 2004 I tracked down Mer-Man (an overlooked figure from the original) and last year made a successful bid for the elusive and very rare Evil-Lyn. The new sculpt, by Four Horsemen Studios, captures the beauty of Skeletor's duplicitous sorceress.

With the R1 release of Masters of the Universe DVD and UMD, the Masters of the Universe renaissance is secure for generations to come.

The Powers of Grayskull: Part II

Mattel's marketing approach was quickly copied. Product-based TV shows were created for The Transformers, Care Bears, G.I. Joe, Visionaries (perhaps the best animated tie-in of the era) and many other toy lines which followed. Cartoons (inspired by) the figures became nothing more than commercials for the toy companies. Critics mourned the loss of 'educational' programs, but there was no arguing with ratings and the 'value' of this inferior edutainment form.

Masters of the Universe was a cash cow and Mattel extended the brand with the introduction of She-Ra: Princess of Power (think action Barbie, also a Mattel property) and The Evil Horde. Hordak was the insidious successor to Skeletor and his Horde Troopers shamelessly copied the Stormtroopers of a galaxy far, far away. A variety of beasts were released. Modulok resides in mint box in my attic.

Primary characters were often redecorated with different features over the years, a trait that would destroy toy lines including, ironically, Masters of the Universe. Figures were sold on bubble-packed cards which changed as new merchandise was released. In 1990, a new series of figures was marketed under the name He-Man. Masters of the Universe, including its spin-offs, ran for a decade. History lesson over.

The Powers of Grayskull: Part I

At a time when Mattel's strapline, the world's number one name in toys, could be seen on every toy aisle around the globe, Masters of the Universe were a feature of my childhood. First a history lesson.

Masters of the Universe is significant for two reasons. It was the first major toy line which incorporated action features, making the figures more than just posable toys. As a result, many future lines would strive to include some sort of action feature... even if it was nothing more than an accessory which snapped onto the figure itself. Action features, however, were not the key factor in the success of the line.

Just prior to Christmas 1983, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) lifted a number of restrictions on children's television programming. Among the regulations, which were overturned, was a 1969 decision that prohibited television shows based on toy products. This precedent had been established when the Tonka corporation filed suit with the FCC to prevent Mattel from producing a Hot Wheels television program.

The now-defunct Filmation Associates, a subsidiary of Westinghouse, was quick to take advantage of the deregulation. With the cooperation of Mattel, they produced sixty-five half-hour episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Filmation was unable to sell the series to any of the major networks, so they tried a different approach. Instead of selling the show, they traded the animated sequences for a portion of the air time, allowing local stations to keep the advertising revenues.

I'll conclude the history lesson in my next post!

Micronauts 0 The Transformers 2

Easter 1984 and Star Wars toys made way for a new obsession. The Transformers toys and, by the Summer, the animated series (review pending).

I can still picture the cryptic advertisement in the March edition of Doctor Who magazine (published by Marvel), which simply introduced the, now iconic, Autobot and Decepticon insignias against a black background inscribed with the legend "Robots In Disguise"! A marketing masterpiece. Little did I know that only a few hours later I'd see the first wave of Hasbro's The Transformers for myself!

At the time I was collecting Star Wars, Action Force (the UK name for G.I. Joe), Masters of the Universe, Zoids and, what there's more? Micronauts.

Mego's Micronauts had captured my imagination at a very early age, but the line had ended and I was purchasing the, increasingly, elusive toys whenever, and wherever, possible. A school holiday trip (with Mum) to Tiverton was no exception.

The Model Centre only carried a very limited range - the insipid Alpha, Beta and Gammatron. Undaunted we walked over to Tesco (the toy department was huge) and Transformers point-of-sale (POS) was everywhere! The first wave included stalwarts Starscream, Soundwave and the cassette twin-packs Rumble/Ravage and Frenzy/Laserbeak.

An hour later, I sat in a Tiverton cafe transforming Rumble and Ravage, whilst heaping spoonfuls of sugar into my cola drink (as one did at that age)!

More Transformers recollections to follow.